CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The high value that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) places on its relations with Chile was underscored on Monday when CARICOM Heads of Government, Ministers and other representatives of Member States, and Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque held discussions with His Excellency Sebastián Piñera Echenique, President of Chile.
In remarks at the meeting with President Piñera in Santiago, Chile, His Excellency Michel Martelly, President of Haiti and Chairman of CARICOM, referred to the cooperation and political dimensions of the relationship between CARICOM and Chile. He pointed to cooperation in the areas of natural disaster management, sustainable agriculture and food and nutrition security, and expressed gratitude to Chile for the advocacy role it played on behalf of CARICOM at the G-20 Summit last June.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the two sides noted the coordination achieved between CARICOM and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC) to jointly tackle the challenges imposed by the international agenda and the international financial crisis, and committed to work towards the regional integration objectives set out by the new hemispheric architecture of CELAC.
The Meeting on Monday followed the first CELAC Summit and the First Summit of CELAC and the European Union (EU) held over the weekend in Santiago.
Please see below the Joint Communiqué issued at the conclusion of the Meeting.
JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ
PRESIDENT MR SEBASTIÁN PIÑERA ECHENIQUE MEETS WITH THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM)
Santiago, 28 January 2013In Santiago, Chile, on 28 January 2013, H.E. the President of the Republic of Chile, Mr Sebastián Piñera Echenique met with the Caribbean Community CARICOM) represented by H.E. Michel Martelly, President of Haiti and current Chairman of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; H.E Donald Ramotar, President of the Republic of Guyana; Dr. the Hon. Kenny D. Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia; and Dr. the Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Other CARICOM Member States were represented as follows-
Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Immigration of The Bahamas; Sen. the Hon. Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados; Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Attorney General of Belize; Sen. the Hon. Alvin Bernard, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Dominica, H.E. Raphael Joseph, Ambassador of Grenada to Cuba, Sen. the Hon. A.J Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica; H.E. Mr. Winston G. Lackin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Suriname; and Hon. Winston Dookeran, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communications of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM was also in attendance.
President Sebastián Piñera expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the presence of CARICOM high representatives at this international meeting and highlighted the gestures of friendship and confidence, especially the support received from Caribbean countries to the Chilean candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council (2011) and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights that same year. He also thanked them for the endorsement of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) to the Chilean candidacy to the UN Security Council, for the period 2014-2015.
The President of Chile reiterated his commitment to uphold the cooperation programs agreed upon at the Second Meeting of the CARICOM-Chile Joint Commission held in Santiago, on 3 and 4 February 2012, and to seek new alternatives to deepen and expand them. He also expressed Chile’s deep interest in holding the Third Meeting of the CARICOM-Chile Joint Commission in 2014.
CARICOM representatives, in turn, highlighted Chile’s strengthened ties with the Caribbean which have been underlined by an intense exchange of visits from authorities and Government officials who have participated in various initiatives that have been carried out. They also took the opportunity to commend President Piñera on Chile’s excellent performance as President Pro Tempore of the CELAC.
The coordination achieved between both regions to jointly tackle the challenges imposed by the International Agenda and the international financial crisis was especially noted.
A commitment was also made to work together with the aim to achieve regional integration objectives set out by the new hemispheric architecture represented by CELAC. The fact that the Forum is to be led by a Quartet, with the inclusion of a member of CARICOM was especially welcomed.
